CWSS-Oris partnership: Second Wadden Sea watch introduced at joint event on Fanø
The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) announced the renewal of the partnership with the Swiss watch manufacturer Oris at this year’s annual event themed “Change for the better” that took place on the Danish Wadden Sea island of Fanø on the 11 to 14 August. On Fanø, Oris’s guest met with people engaged in Wadden Sea protection and learned about inspiring ideas such as the “no-fence” experiment that investigate how grazing for cattle with virtual fences can take place in a way that best suits the protected areas without the use of fence wires obscuring the view. The initiative Ren Strand Fanø presented their work with locals, visitors, authorities, organisations, and institutions to inform on the issue of marine litter.
At the event, Oris introduced “Dat Watt Limited Edition II”, the second watch dedicated to the Wadden Sea World Heritage in the framework of the CWSS-Oris partnership. Parts of the proceeds from the sale of the Dat Watt II watch will go towards supporting the trilateral education and youth engagement efforts to engage and inspire young people to build relationships with nature. The watch features salt marshes, one of the essential and most biodiverse habitats in the Wadden Sea. Salt marshes host an incredible richness of insects and spiders, which are dependent on the specific vegetation found there. Salt marshes are an important natural storage of CO2. Submerged in salt water, the plants do not rot and therefore release less CO2. Preserving them pays into climate change mitigation.
The partnership, started in 2019, is the first cooperation that has been undertaken between the Wadden Sea and a private enterprise. It is a part of a series of watches which Oris have produced with the aim of celebrating our marine heritage and while also highlighting the importance of the conservation of the oceans. Over the past decade, Oris has worked with non-profit environmental organisations and clean-up movements all over the world, so the collaboration with the Wadden Sea, a marine World Heritage Site, was a natural fit.
“We have had some exciting years with Oris filled with enrichening activities and benefits for both sides. We are very happy to continue this partnership.”, says Anja Domnick, CWSS Programme Officer Trilateral Cooperation. “The story of change continues, with the partnership renewal, Oris will support the CWSS efforts in inspiring the next generation in conservation. This is very important for us as protection will soon be in the hands of today’s young generation.”
After a three-year period, the CWSS-Oris partnership was extended for another two years. “At Oris, our focus on bringing Change for the Better grows sharper all the time,” says our Co-CEO, Rolf Studer. “We’re excited to extend our partnership with the CWSS and to support it any way we can. This collaboration is another example of our company-wide attitude to sustainability, conservation, and humanitarianism. Together we can bring Change for the Better.”
The cooperation with Oris also serves as a way to enhance awareness of the Wadden Sea and the trilateral work that goes in to protecting the integrity of the site and maintaining our Outstanding Universal Value. This cooperation follows the main principles of the regulatory framework that UNESCO has adopted for cooperation with the private sectors (PACT – Partnerships for Conservation), which focuses on how the partners cooperate: common purpose with mutual benefit, ethical standards, transparency, accountability, and sustainability.